Corpus-Paul

[Sorin & Simona Sabou <sssabou AT deuroconsult.ro>]

Dear all,
I was recently awarded my PhD (London Bible College; supervisors: Steve
Motyer, Max Turner). It was a piece of research on the metaphorical
language of death in Romans 6. Here is the abstract of the thesis.
Thanks for your interaction.
Sorin Sabou



Abstract

Between Horror and Hope:
Paul's Metaphorical Language of 'Death' in Romans 6.1-11

This project analyses Paul's metaphorical language of 'death' in Romans
6.1-11. The scholarly debate is focused on two main questions: that of
the origin of the idea (the commentatio mortis tradition from the
hellenistic philosophic writings, mystery religions, the teaching of
Jesus, Adamic Christology, eschatological 'being with Christ', the
personal experience of Paul) and its development ('dying with Christ' as
an experience in the past and present, predestination, Messiah and
community, 'dying with Christ' as a sacramental experience, the role of
baptism for understanding the experience of 'dying with Christ', the
death of Christ as an event in which the believers can share, the role
of Christology and Anthropology for understanding 'dying with Christ',
the need to work with different perspectives in Christology).
This project argues, as far as the question of origin is concerned, that
what we have in Romans 6.1-11 is Paul's creativity at work: bold
metaphors (6.2) for which the only parallel which we found is that from
Rom. 6.10. It is his own insight into the meaning of Christ's death (a
'death to sin') and his understanding of the identity of Christ in his
death (he died as the anointed davidic king) which guided him in
creating this metaphor of 'dying to sin' as a way of describing the
relationship of the believer with sin.
Concerning the question of the development of this language of death
this project argues that this language is used to convey two aspects: of
horror and of hope. The first aspect (of horror) is discussed in the
context of crucifixion. Paul establishes his explanation for the
believers' 'death to sin' by presenting Christ's death as the death of
the anointed davidic king, who won the victory over sin and death by
being raised from the dead (6.9-10). Paul affirms that the believers are
'coalesced' (sumfutos) with what was proclaimed ('representation' -
homoioma) about Christ's death and resurrection (6.5). These two facts
allow him to assert that the releasing of the body from the power of sin
(6.6) is a result of 'crucifixion', in the sense that 'crucifixion', as
the 'condemnation/punishment' inflicted upon our past lived in the age
inaugurated by the sin of Adam (ho palaios anthropos), is such a
horrible event that the believers have to stay away from sin, since it
is sin that leads to such a punishment. The second aspect (of hope) is
presented in the context of 'burial'. The believers' 'burial with'
Christ points to the fact that they are part of the same family with
Christ. This 'burial' is accomplished by an overwhelming action of God
by which he pushes us toward the event of Christ's death, action
pictured in the act of baptism (6.3,4). This fact of 'burial with'
Christ allows them to share with Christ the newness of life also
(6.4,8).